Optical navigation systems detect relative movements between the optical navigation systems and navigation surfaces to perform tracking operations. An optical navigation system uses a light source to generate illumination light on a navigation surface and an image sensor to successively capture frames of image data of the navigation surface using reflected illumination light. The optical navigation system compares the successive frames of image data and estimates the relative movements between the optical navigation system and the navigation surface based on the comparison between the current frame of image data and a previous frame of image data. The optical navigation system is able to track the relative movements between the optical navigation system and the navigation surface by continuously capturing and comparing frames of image data. Optical navigation systems are commonly used in optical computer mice to track the lateral movements of the mice relative to the navigation surfaces on which the mice are manually manipulated.
As illustrated in FIG. 1A, which is an exploded view, a conventional optical navigation system 100 for an optical computer mouse may include a light source in the form of a light emitting diode (LED) 102, an LED holder/clip 104, a mouse printed circuit board 106, a surface mount image sensor package 108, an optical element with an imaging lens 110 and a mouse base plate 112. These components of the optical navigation system 100 need to be assembled, as shown in FIG. 1B, which is a cross-sectional view of the system over a navigation surface 114, in order to be used in an optical computer mouse.
The various components of the optical navigation system 100 not only increases cost and size of the optical navigation system, but also increases the complexity of the system assembly process. Thus, there is a need for an optical navigation system that can reduce the cost and size, and also reduce the complexity of the system assembly process.